Casing for unitary hearing aids



Feb. 14, 1950 D. H. YOUNG CASING FOR UNITARY HEARING AIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 31, 1946 INVENTOR. DON H.YOUNG HIS ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 14, 1950 D. H. YOUNG- CASING FOR UNITARY HEARING AIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 51, 1946 INVENTOR. DON H.YOUNG Hi5 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 14,1950

CASING FOR UNITARY HEARING AIDS Don H. Young, West Hempstead, N. Y., .assignor to Dictograph Products Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 31, 1946, Serial No. 706,827

This invention relates to improvements in hearing aid devices, and it relates particularly to' casings for receiving all of the elements of the device, except the ear or head-phone.

Hearing aid devices include a microphone, an

1 Claim. (01. 179-107),

amplifying unit, and in most of the prior devices, a separate battery container of substantial size.

, Recently, miniature electronic tubes and minia ture batteries for energizing such tubes have been produced and have made possible the further substantial reduction in the size of hearing aid devices. These batteries and the tubes are of such small size that the microphone, the amplifler, and the batteries can be housed in a single container of about the same size as the microphone and amplifier units manufactured heretofore.

.. These unitary hearing aid devices, while very convenient for the wearer and relatively inconthe reason that the amplifier must be assembled in a much smaller space than was available heretofore, with the result that the soldering of the various connections, and the orderly arrangement of the various parts is very difiicult. Moreover, because of the limited space available, access to the batteries, tubes and other elements for replacement or repair can be had only with great difllculty.

. In accordance with the present invention, the various elements of a hearing aid device areassembled in a chassis which is constructed to receive all of the elements in predetermined positions and with adequate provisions made for the wires and conductors necessaryfor the device.

More particularly, the casing may include a chassis-block or skeleton framework which is provided with recesses and openings into which the various elements of the amplifier, the microphone and the batteries fit, and which include channels and openings in convenient positions for receiving the conductors, resistors and condenser that are required in the amplifier circuit. Inasmuch as all Of the elements of the device can be assembled in the casing in predetermined positions, the assembly and servicing of the device are greatly facilitated.

The chassis block preferably is formed of a synthetic plastic and may be provided with suitable cover portions for concealing the Various elements mounted in the block. The cover portions may take the form of removable plates which are suitably perforated in. front of the microphone, and, if desired, near the tubes for 2 ventilation; or the chassis block with its attached elements may be covered by means of a removable pouch. The use of a pouch or similar removable cover makes possible easy change in the appearance of the device to conform with the clothing of the wearer. Thus, the pouch or casing may be made of fabric, leather or simulated leather of suitable design or color to blend or contrast with the costume of the user.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a typical form of chassis block embodying the present invention with the microphone, on-and-off switch and volume control, tone control and other elements shown assembled in the block;

Fig. 2 "is .a perspective view of the back of the chassis block illustrating the electronic tubes and the batteries mounted in the block;

a Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the chassis block with the elements of the hearing aid device removed therefrom;

, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the hearing aid devicehaving cover plates thereon; and,

Fig. .5 is a schematic diagram showing electrical connections to certain fastening bolts.

The form of the invention chosen for purposes of illustration may include a chassis block member I0 which may be made of any suitable material such as, for example, a moldable synthetic resin, wood, or other material, preferably having insulating properties. The chassis block Ill illustrated is slightly over four inches in length, by two and one-fourth inches in width, and approximatelyfive-eighth of an inch thick. The dimensions of the block can be varied but the block should be sufficiently small so that it can be worn relatively inconspicuously on the clothing or in a Vest or shirt pocket. The hearing aid device includes the usual microphone I I, an on-ofi switch and volume control l2, and a tone control rheostat l3, all of conventional construction. The electronic amplifier may include a. plurality of miniature vacuum or electronic tubes l4, l5, and It, providing a threestage amplifier which is capable of supplying a suflicient output for all purposes. In order to energize the tubes, it is necessary to provide the usual A battery H, B battery l8, and C battery I9, as well as a transformer 20 and one or more resistors 2| and condensers 22 in order to complete the amplifier circuit. In addition to the elements enumerated above. conductors or wiring between the various elements are provided,

but not illustrated inasmuch as they are conventional and do not form a part of the present invention.

In the unitary type of device illustrated in the drawings, haphazard arrangement of wiring nd elements of the prior devices is eliminated and each element occupies a pro-selected place with respect to the other elements. The chassis .block II] is constructedin such a way that'all of the elements fit within the recesses provided in the block and at the same time are spaced apart so that the wiring of the device willulie within the periphery of the block. 7

Referring now to Figs. --1 and'3, the chassis block Hi may be provided at the end with a pair of generally circular recesses 23 and il'which' open through the face 25 of the blockand through its end 26. The recesses 23 and 24 are adapted to receive the switch and volume control Hand the tone control It so. that portions of their knurled peripheries are accessible for operation.

Immediately to the-rear ofthe recesses '23 and 24 is a larger recess 2? defined by a generally annular rim 28 and disk-like base 28a within which is mounted the microphone H. It should be noted that the rim 28 is' interrupted adjacent to the recesses 23 and 24 so that conductors may extend between these various recesses.

Adjacent to the recess 2? is a generally rectangular opening 29for receiving the transformer 20. The transformer may be cemented in the recess or secured therein in any desired way.

On or about the same plane as the transformer recess 29 is a circular recess 30' in which is mounted the C bias-battery l9.

- Referring now to Fig. 2, which discloses'the back of the chassis block IE), it will be seen that the upper end of the block is providedwith a series of three recesses 35, 32, and 33 extending transversely of the chassis l8 and separated by disconnected partition elements 34 'and'35a that extend inwardly from the periphery of the chassis block IE3. These disconnected partitions,y.in addition to separating the recesses forthextubes l4, l5, and it, act to reenforce the rimmember 28 and disk member 28a inasmuch as the partitions 34 and 35 extend across apertures 36 and 31.0n opposite sides of the microphone recess. The apertures 36 and Bl receive wires and the resistors and condensers El and 22.

Instead of mounting individual units in Separate recesses, it may be found advantageous'to mount several like units in the same-recess, such as the tubes [4, 55 and [6, for example which may be mounted together in one recess, such as 3i, in which case partitions 34 and: 35*will be omitted to make one larger recess.

The batteries l! and I8 are housedinthe lower end of the chassis block is in suitable recesses 38 and 39, respectively, which closelyfit the batteries so as to hold them against displacement. Sui-table channels 48 and 4|: may extendfrom the recesses 38 and 35 into the transverse recess 33 for receiving wires for connecting the batteries to the tubes and other elements. Thexc'hassis block [6 therefore forms a skeleton-framework for. receiving all of the elements ofTthehea-ring. aid in predeterminedpositions.

While the chassis block Ill may be madcap- 0f one element, it is preferred to separate the block into two parts iila and Hlb, one of which receives the batteries and the other of whichv receives the amplifier and microphone. This arrangement allows for: a change in the battery section so that batteries of a different type and voltage may-be 4 used for special purposes. However, the batteries may be replaced without removing the end section of the casing, but by displacing a movable section over the batteries, this movable section being the lower half of the back cover, to be described.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the end section 10a. may be provided with a tongue member 42 which is adapted to fit into a groove 43 in the section lflb as shownin- Fig. 2 and' to be secured thereto by means of suitable bolts 44. The amplifier and microphone section liib may also be provided with a suitable tongue 45 which engages in a groove or recess 46 in the section Illa and may be detachably connectedtherewith by means of a bolt 41.

Thebolts 44, 44and 41 may serve to electrically connect the-battery section with the amplifier section, as by connecting middle bolt 44 to the common terminals of the batteries I! and I8, and-outer bolts 44 and 41 to the other terminals of corresponding batteries l8 and I1, the amplified units then being connected to: these bolts", as shown in Fig. 5.

The casing'for the batteriesand amplifier may be completed 'by applying theretowsuitablecover plates 48 and 49. As illustrated in. Fig. 4, the plates 48 and 49 may consist of flat sheets-of plastic or other material which are secured by means of screws 5| to the chassis block [0. The plate 48 may be provided witha grille 52 overlying the microphone, and the back plate 49 1s prefer-'- ably divided and hinged at 53 so as to provide a movable cover 49' over the battery section to facilitate battery installation and. replacement. The cover 49' maybe provided with tongues 54 embracing the edges of the-bloclclo so as to hold it. in closed position. Alternatively, theplate 49 may be provided with an access opening closed by a separate movable cover.

It will be observed that no separate casing is required for the instrument, the blockslflaand [0b and the plates 48" and 49 serving inv lieu thereof, i. e., the edges of the block are finished and, with plates 48- and 49, serves as both chassis frame and casing The unit illustrated in Fig. 4 may, if: desired, be provided with suitable-surfaceornamentation anda clip, not shown, on the back plate 49 for attaching the device to the clothing. Alterna tively, theentire unit may be slipped inside of a pouch formed of leather, fabric or. other suitable material in order to render it less conspicuousor more attractive. Moreover, if desired, the front and back plates 48 and 49 may be omitted and the chassis block- H) can be housed in. the pouch or casing formedof leather or: other material which conceals and protects the elements.

In either case, the overall size vo'ftthe device will not be appreciably altere'cl'and the entire unit may bereadily carried'on the clothingor in a vest or shirt pocket... The'only other element re quired for: the device is the usual-recewer may be connected with the-amplifier through suitable'pl u'gs and sockets", not s1 10Wh It will be understood that the device is suscepti'ble'toconsiderablemodificationin the-arrangement-and size of the parts and that-the type of "amplifier and microphone us'ed therein may be modified, asdesireda Therefore, theform' of the-invention described-above shouldbe considered as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

A case for supporting elements of an electronic tube hearing aid, including the microphone, A, B and 0 batteries; tubes; transformer, as-' sociated elements and wiring of an electronic hearing aid device, comprising a first block-like portion, a second block-like portion, means detachably connecting said portions in end-to-end relation to form a generally rectangular blocklike member, means forming recesses in said first block-like portion receiving and substantially fitting said A and "B batteries, means forming recesses in said second block-like portion receiving said C batteries, microphone, tubes, associated elements and a part of said wiring, and aligned channels in both of said block-like portions receiving wiring for connecting said batteries to the elements in said second block-like portion, and cover portions secured to and overlying said recesses in said block-like member.

DON H. YOUNG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hanson June 15, 1920 Craft Mar. 30, 1926 Reynolds May 24, 1927 Lum Oct. 23, 1928 Mason Dec. 29, 1942 Shapiro Jan. 19, 1943 Shapiro Aug. 1'7, 1943 Blauvelt Aug. 27, 1946 Tresise et a1. July 22, 1947 Lybarger June 29, 1948 Posen Sept. 20, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Dec. 8, 1938 

